The present invention relates generally to the processing of scrap metal and more particularly to a system for crushing and shearing scrap metal.
Scrap metal may be recycled if it can be reduced to a size that may be easily handled, shipped and further processed. Typically, large scrap metal items such as trucks, beams, fabricated items, vessels and the like are first crushed to a compact form and then cut into chunks or blocks that are of a size that may be economically handled and processed. The crushing of the scrap requires a significant investment in crushing apparatus as well as handling apparatus, such as cranes and the like, for feeding the scrap to the crushing apparatus. Moreover, significant energy is consumed in crushing and shearing scrap to the desired size and shape.
A variety of techniques and apparatus exist for crushing scrap. Typically, scrap is positioned between two walls, at least one of which is movable and hydraulic cylinders are utilized to move the wall or walls to crush the scrap. Some known apparatus crush in more than one direction, either simultaneously or in sequence. Some crush in concurrent directions. Some known apparatus feed scrap to the crushing area and to the cutting area by an additional movable wall or ram. Others feed down an inclined plane by gravity.
A number of prior U.S. patents disclose systems that crush in a direction perpendicular to the scrap feed direction. Such reference include Schoenauer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,163; Galter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,138; Dahlem et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,315; Becker et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,850; Vezzani, U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,388; and Vezzani, U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,406. Of these patents Galter, Vezzani, '388 and Vezzani '406 disclose the use of a gathering action.
A number of known systems use a movable wall for crushing that moves in an arc. Schoenauer, Galter, Dahlem et al and Becker et al, mentioned above as well as Smiltneek, U.S. Pat. No. 3,273,493 and Van Endert, U.S. Pat. No. 3,101,045 and Schulte, U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,263 discloses the use of a pivoting wall. Of these, Smiltneek and Galter have pivot axes near the shear head while the other references have pivot axes remote from the shear head.
Galter discloses an apparatus that has both a gathering wall 3 and a non-gathering pivoting wall 4. Dahlem et al discloses a device having a pivoting wall 22 in conjunction with a laterally moving wall 17 and a laterally moving ram 19. Wall 22 and ram 19 act along the same extent of the crushing apparatus between the shear head and the feeding ram 11 as can be seen in FIG. 2.
Smiltneek discloses a crushing mechanism that takes advantage of the leverage of a stationary pivot axis on the non-gathering crushing wall at the end near the shear head.
A number of these patents also disclose systems to perform a crushing step with and in the same direction as the shearing action. Dahlem et al and Vezzani '388 and '406, for example, discloses such systems.
Known shear systems utilize exposed power plants and hydraulic pumps. Such systems are susceptible to damage due to impact from scrap or machinery and due to weather. Such systems must utilize auxiliary buildings in order to house and protect the pumps and plants.
Crushing apparatus capable of handling the largest scrap items, such as railroad cars, are rare. Typically, such larger scrap items are cut with torches into pieces small enough to be processed through existing crushing and cutting systems. Such cutting is highly labor intensive and thus often economically unfeasible. As a result, large scrap items often are not reprocessed and go to waste.
Large scrap items cannot easily be loaded into known shear systems. Such large items are often off-balanced and must be swung and maneuvered by crane into position which takes considerable time. This loading time may limit the production of the shear system. Tiltable staging tables have been used for feeding scrap shredders. These tables are incapable of handling large items and could not solve the loading problems confronted with large scrap items.
Often large scrap exists in locations remote from processing facilities. Known shear systems use hydraulic cylinders operated with electric hydraulic fluid pumps. Some remote locations do not have electric power available at all or electric power lines are insufficient to handle the power consumption of crushing and shearing apparatus.
There is a need for a shear system capable of handling large pieces of scrap at remote as well as close in locations. Known systems require external power sources and auxiliary buildings to house power units, hydraulic pumps and control units. There are no known shear systems that are self-contained, that may be erected at a location having no power source and that are capable of handling scrap items of large sizes without first cutting such large scrap into pieces prior to processing.